The invention relates to an chain for receiving an electrical conducting cable or other energy conductor.
Chains for housing electrical conducting cables and other conductors, referred to as enery-conducting chains are known from DE-OS 36 19 049 in which the individual chain links contain a U-shaped frame which serves to receive the energy-conducting leads. The chain links are closed on their upper surface by a releasable cross-piece. The cross-piece is provided at both ends with sprung stop elements which come into releasable engagement with the side walls of the frame.
A disadvantage of this construction is that separate frames have to be produced for chain links of different widths, which involves high tooling costs for integral production of these frames. With this known construction there is also the danger that the sprung stop elements can be damaged or even broken off by clumsy handling.
An energy-conducting chain is also known from DE-GM 85 13 491 in which the individual chain links each consists of side plates at two cross-pieces which connect them. Such a construction makes it possible to produce chain links of different widths using fewer basic elements.
In this known construction the cross-pieces have on both ends studs which are of T-shaped cross-section, engage in corresponding sockets in the side plates and are provided on their outer surface with sprung stop tongues which extend from the end of the stud part to the attachment point. The stop connection is released by means of a tool which is introduced from the outside of the side plate or from the upper or lower side of the cross-piece through a slot.
A disadvantage of this known construction is, above all, that releasing the stop connection requires an awkward manipulation and there is a danger of damage to the sprung stop tongues. The known construction also has at the ends of the cross-pieces, in the region of the stop tongues, relatively large recesses which are open towards the exterior and in which dirt and foreign bodies (e.g. chippings) can settle, which considerably impairs the release of the stop connection in some circumstances.